Sam Rashid for U.S. Senate

Sam Rashid, known for being a behind the scenes political puppet master in Hillsborough County and an occasional target of my irreverent views has an excellent column in today’s Tampa Tribune about the budget fight, spending and taxes.

Tampa’s political kingmaker calls it like he sees it — and he’s right this time

Sam Rashid, known for being a behind the scenes political puppet master in Hillsborough County and an occasional target of my irreverent views has an excellent column in today’s Tampa Tribune about the budget fight, spending and taxes.

Rashid’s column is refreshing in that it takes responsibility for the mess, instead of blame; and recognizes the shared sacrifice all Americans will have to accept to get out of the hole we’re in (including cuts to entitlements and yes, raising taxes).

The debt-limit “deal” expected to be signed by President Obama this week is just that — another “deal.” It’s based on projections and expectations that the next Congress will act responsibly — don’t count on it.

Deals are what got us into the current mess we’re in. What we need is leadership.

Sam’s approach is practical, responsible, achievable, and easy to explain, but only if we have real leaders in Washington — which of course we don’t.

Maybe Sam ought to run for the U.S. Senate. The current field consists of nothing but a bunch of circus clowns who will give us more of the same.

Okay, I’m just being irreverent here (with the part about Sam for the U.S. Senate), but continuing down the current path isn’t going to change a thing, because all the Republicans and Democrats in Washington have done is punt — again.

Regardless, thanks for stepping up to the plate and calling it like it is Sam.

Chris Ingram is the president and founder of 411 Communications a corporate and political communications firm, and publisher of Irreverent View. Ingram is a frequent pundit on Fox News and CNN, and has written opinion columns for the Washington Times, UPI, and National Review online. He is the Republican political analyst for Bay News 9, the only 24 hour all news channel in Florida’s largest media market. The opinions expressed here are those of author and do not represent the views of Bay News 9. E-mail him at: Chris@IrreverentView.com.

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Absolutely, 100% NO taxes do not need to be raised. How many times must we go through this argument? We in Florida enjoy one of the least taxing states in the Union next to Tennessee and Texas. One need only look at the ridiculous amount of taxation in the states of North Carolina and Virginia to understand we need no additional taxes. Taxation of that nature is the rule, not the exception. They even have a personal property tax in those states! Honestly? Government needs to understand they need to reduce government spending, not raise any taxes. Read my lips again, NO NEW TAXES.

I generally agree that taxes are evil, but in some cases a necessary evil — to provide for things like roads, schools, defense, and the like.

They are also a necessary evil to pay for all the largess our country, citizens, and voters have enjoyed for the last 40 years — effectively without paying for said largess to the tune of $14 Trillion and growing. Thank Congress and the stupid voters they elect for that little present.

Yes, government has gotten too big. Yes, government needs to shrink. No government cannot/should not be all things to all people all the time.

But we’ve got to pay for all this crap we’ve been enjoying and you can’t cut your way out of a $14 Trillion hole. The longer we stick our heads in the sand and cry “no new taxes” the more painful the bill becomes for our children and grand children who are already facing a lower quality of life, fewer services and higher taxes as a result of the greed of the American people who want all this stuff but don’t demand that their politicians pay for it.